Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-16
NEW YORK LETTER.
COST or LIVING IN THE METROPOLIS
YOUNG DIVES.
Rivalry Of the PreS-A Pretty Irish Girl
Captures an Englishman-TheAtri-
cal-rhe Presidents Nerve.

asAcd q stranger the other evening.
"From 81 to $780," was the not very
satisfactory reply. There is no place
in America where some men spend
more money for living expenses and
others exist upon less than New York.
The stranger, however, referred to men
who keep up appearances and have a
reasonably good time. Here is the
story OF the days experiences of two
Of them Young Dives, whose father
left him fortune and nothing 10 do
except TO spend the income from it,
has q suit of rooms not far from Broad
way ut that neutrality-suspicious. point
where Delmonico's and other resorts
are located. His rooms cost him s., 600
year. His sole servant is valet, who
keeps his masters clothes in order
and his own mouth closed. Such
n luxury costs Dives $50 month, all
his old clothes, and occasionally pres
ent OF money. The young man, like
theyearly increasing multitude of bloods
OF leisure in the metropolis, gets up
about noon, puts on his carefully
brushed matutinal suit, and at once
begins to spend money. A glass OF
Congress water is the first thing upon
which he lays out funds. Then he
takes q walk if it is pleasant. Every
fine day. at noon or thereabouts, you
will find Dives and score of his ilk
walking on Fifth avenue between
Twenty-third and Forty-second streets.
Dives meets a friend and they go some
where TO breakfast. Your rich young
man Of leisure has horror of eating
alone. He gets dainty breakfast at
some fashionable restaurant. 1t costs
him about So, and he manages to kill a
great deal of time eating it. Then he
succeeds in disbursing dollar for good
cigars. He saunters over to his club,
sits down, reads the morning papers,
and gazes out of the window at the
ladies, who by that time are abroad on
shopping expeditions. Having killed
some more time in that way, Dives
sends to a fashionable stable, from
which he hires turnouts at an expense
which never falls below $3.50 per
month.
TREATING FRIENDS.
He drives ont to the Casino in Cen
trail Park or to one of the road-houses,
meets some one he knows, and asks
him to have drink. The first round
costs 80 cents. Another friend drops
in on them and they have small bot
tie. Friend No. buys the cigars and
Dives purchases another small bottle OF
wine. Then he shakes hands with his
companions, orders up his carriage,
throws the hostler a half dollar and
continues his ride. When he gets home
he would find, if he ever stopped to
figure up his expenses, that he had
spent about 81 30 for incidentals on
the excursion. Sometimes he puts on
his afternoon suit and strolls over to the
club for a game of billiards. To add
interest to the affair he plays for q
wager 81 O game and the drinks. He
loses, say two games and two rounds OF
drinks and gets away with % more, but
he hasn't begun to spend money yet.
He invites his friend of the billiard
game TO dine with him and they sepa-
rate TO dress for dinner. Dives puts on
an evening dress-suit, which, with a
rich cape overcoat for evening wear,
has cost him $3.50 and helped to swell
his tailor's bill to $1,000 a year, walks
slowly over 10 a fashionable restaurant,
meets his friend, and engages in the
delightful task of ordering a dinner.
1t is lust an informal affair, with quart
OF claret, a quart Of champagne, and
some cordial for a final nip, but when
the pair have consumed it and an hour s
time and the obscquious waiter has pre-
fepted the check Dives finds his bill to
be about $50. The first reciprocates by
inviting Dives to the theatre. They
lire O cab, go 10 the play, see one act,
and then 60 out to see q man. They
find him-several OF him, in fact. Dives
optns quart bottle Of champagne, and
they have drink all around at an ex-
penseof $3.50. When the play is over
the pair drive to the Hoffman House,
see more friends, have more wine, and
spend more money.
MIDNIGHT APPROACHES,
and the suggestion of a light lunch
meets with approval. Dives conducts
the party to cGfc and deyotes 81 t.
the light lunch. His friend and hi
friends friend treat, and by that time
the Young blood of the men is cOursinl
through their veins in such manuel
as to make anything like q slow time
abhorrent to them, and they conclude
10 REPAIR to some point where faro o.
poker will give them the zest of excite
ment. Dives doesn't lose very heavily
and when he goes home at o'clock IL
the morning be would find, if he eve
devoted his energies to such vulga
task as computing his expenses, that l
had cost him $50 10 get through thu
day. to say nothing of his regular ex
penses for rent, clothing, carriage hire
&c. This estimate does not include
extensive luXuues at odd but not III
frequent seasons. Take, for example
the case Of Ives, the young Napoleon
of Wall street lie was not q gentle
man Of elegant leisure like the class +
which Dives belongs, but schedule O
only part Of his liabilities, covering
short period Of expenditure, shove
that be owed 2430 for clothing, S29
for boeieiy, 81, 7GO for jewelry, Sl32 70
silytrwart, $40 for flowers, and $40 fo
hats.
Ii costs Dives $4,000 a year to live
and he doesn't consider that he is eS
traysgant. for there are scores OF youn
men IN New York who spend as niue
as he does.
MODERATE YOUNG MAN.
Contrast with him the young ma
who works for reasonably liberal 81
arv and. like Dives. is bent upon hay
ipg good time. He has flat out i
the select but less expensive quarter
of the city. II cost him dollar ia
for rent. lie gets up early, eats a hgl
breakfast that costs him 80 cents, bu,
lis morning papers and burries dow
town 60 business. A 15-cent cigar
smoke on his way from the elevate
station, where he disembarks, is h
only outlay until luncheon time. II
goes TO good restaurant an
gets midday meal, including bott
OF beer aud cigar for 30 cents.
the dinper hour you will find him at
reasonably select uptown restaural
discussing meal that costs him 8
Like Dives, he goes to the theatr
lis dress-suit is ready-made and co
HIM not over $50, but to the casual o.
server be looks as well-attired as Dive